Alarm for hoisting-engines.



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ALARM FOR HOISTING ENGINES, APPLICATION FILED was, I915.

1,239,409., Patented Sept. 4,1917.

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- ATTORNEYS W. J. LILLY. ALARMFOR HOISTING ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG-5. I915.

LQSQLQOQ Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

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WILLIAM J. LILLY, OF BUTTE, MONTANA.

ALARM FOR HOISTING-ENGINES.

Patented Sept. 4L, 1917.

Original application filed. April 2, 1914, Serial No. 829,019. Divided and this application filed August 5, 1915. Serial No. 43,799.

new and Improved Alarm for Hoisting- Engines, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to alarm mechanism and more particularly to devices of this character, intended for use in connection with hoisting engines and controlling mecha nism for the same.

Stated more specifically, my invention comprehends an electric alarm mechanism adapted for use in connection with controlling mechanism of the kind described in my allowed application, Serial No. 829019 filed April 2, 1914, of which the present application is a division.

My improved alarm mechanism is mostly associated with apparatus employed to prevent overspeeding of the hoisting mechanism carrying the skip or cage as the case may be. My alarm mechanism is also closely associated with apparatus controllable partly by the speed of the hoisting mechanism and partly by relative positions assumed by various movable parts for stopping the hoisting engine and applying the brake mechanism in the event that the operator fails, from any cause, to check the speed of the hoisting mechanism when the skip or cage reaches the proximate limit of its travel either upward or downward.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this'specification and in which like letters indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a side view partly in elevation and partly diagrammatic showing generally a hoisting engine and brake mechanism associated therewith as used in connection with my improved alarm mechanism;

Fig. 1 is a detail view showing in perspective various parts of the weight-controlled tripping device for stopping the hoisting mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the speed-controlled mechanism for throwing the tripping device into action and for inwith various parts of the hoisting engine and r the controlling mechanism therefor, I will first briefly describe the structure and action of these parts.

The hoisting engine is shown at 4, the throttle valve at 5, the throttle mechanism at 6, and the throttle shaft at 7. Mounted rigidly upon this throttle shaft, is an arm 8. An actuating bar 9 is provided at one of its ends with a link 10, the latter fitting slidably upon a pin 11 carried by the arm 8. hen the actuating bar 9 is moved obliquely downward in the general direction of its length, the throttle mechanism is actuated and the engine is stopped.

Various movable parts of the engine are shown at 12, and at 13 is a connecting rod for actuating the throttle mechanism independently of the actuating bar 9. A lever 14 is disposed adjacent a platform 15, serving as the engineers stand, and the lever 1a is connected with the rod 13.

The brake drum, forming a part of the hoisting mechanism, is shown at 16. The brake shoes appear at 17, and connected with them are brake levers 18. The brake shoes are supported upon rocking arms 19, having the usual or any preferred form. Connected with the brake levers 18 are rods 20, which are also connected to a lever 21 which is journaled upon a pedestal 22. Pivotally connected to the lever 21 is a connecting rod 23, the latter being also connected by a pivot 24 with the sliding head of a brake engine 25. This brake engine may be substantially of the usual or any desired construction.

The brake drum 16 provided with gearing 26, the latter being connected with a revoluble shaft 27, this shaft being connected by various geared members such as 28, 29 with a countershaft 32. This countershaft is mounted in bearings 34 and carries a bevel gear 31 and a worm 33, both rigid upon the shaft. A worm gear 35 meshes with the worm 33, and is driven slowly thereby. Mounted rigidly upon a shaft 29 is a bevel pinion 30, which engages and is driven by the bevel gear 31. The shaft 29 also carries at its upper end a gear wheel 36, which meshes with another gear wheel 37, the latter being mounted within a spider 38, constituting the upper portion of the frame work. Supported by this spider, is a sleeve 39. A centrifugal speed governor 40 is supported by the spider 3 8 and sleeve 39, and is provided with a governor rod 41, slidably mounted and adapted to play vertically.

The spider 38 is supported by frame work 42, the latter being provided with a cylindri'cal bearing 43. Extending through this hearing and loose relativelyto the same is a sleeve 44 which serves the purpose of a hollow shaft. Encircling this hollow shaft and loose relatively to the same is a spider 45 provided with spokes 45 and with a hub portion 45 these parts having together the proximate form of a large wheel, as may be understood from Figs. 2 and 3.

The worm wheel 35 is secured rigidly upon one end of a tubular shaft 46, which extends through the sleeve 44, and is loose relatively to the latter.

The spider 45 is provided with an annular rack 47 carrying rack teeth 48 extending radially inward. The spider 45 is further provided with a reduced annular portion 49, integral with it and with the annular rack just mentioned, for the purpose of supporting the latter.

.Fitted upon the annular rack 47 is a slide 50, provided with a numberofnotches 51 (see Fig. 3), these notches being disposed at different distances measured radially outward from the axis of the annular rack 47. The slide 50 is further provided with a lug 52, integral with it, and with a set screw 53 for clamping the slide rigidly upon the annular rack. By loosening the said screw 53, the slide 50 may be adjusted relatively to the 'annular rack 47, and when thus adj usted may be secured in posit-ion by tightening thesaid screw.

Another slide 54, somewhat similar to the one just mentioned, is provided with a set screw 55, notches 56, and a lug 57. This slide is adjustable relatively to the annular rack 47, but its notches 56 are upon the opposite side of the lug 57 as compared with the position of the notches 51 relatively to the lug 52.

Extending entirely through the tubular shaft 46 is a rod 58, the outer end of this rod being connected by a bearing 59 to an arm 60, this arm being journaled upon a pin 61. Integral with the arm 60 is another arm 62, these two arms together forming a bellcrank lever. Connected with. this bellcranklev'er is a pawl carrier 63, carried by and movable relativelyto an arm 6 The pawl carrier 63 is adapted to be moved radially inward or outward. An arm 64 is provided with a hub 64 fitting tightly upon the tubular shaft 46 and carrying a head 64 a pin 64 is mounted upon this head and supports a lever 64. This lever, as shown in Fig. 2, carries a weight 64 and is by a pivot, pin 64 pivotally connected with the pawl carrier 63. A pawl 65, having in this instance, the

form of a trident head, is by aid of a pivot pin 66, mounted upon the upper end of the pawl carrier (33, and has a slight rocking movement relatively to said pawl carrier.

The rod 58 is connected by a bearing 67 (see Fig. 2) with the lower end of a bellcrank lever 68, this lever having an arm 69 extending horizontally. Pivotally connected with the arm 69 is a link 70. This link is also .pivotally connected by the governor rod 41. A weighted lever 72 extends into engagement with the lower end of the governor rod 41, and is movable by the vertical movements of this governor rod. The bellcrank lever 68 is supported upon a pin 69 which is carried by a crank 69", the latter being secured rigidly upon a shaft 73, which is journaled in the frame work. Secured rigidly upon the shaft 73 and extending upwardly therefrom is an arm 74, provided with a number of holes 75. An actuating bar 7 6 is connected with the arm 74, and is adjustable by aid of the holes 75. The actuating bar 76 is provided with an adjustable link 7 7 which may be secured in two positions relatively to a pin 77 The bar 76 is operated by hand, for the purpose of actuating the arm 74, and of leaving the latter in either of two normal positions. At 78 and .79 (see Fig. 1) are shown various levers and other movableparts, connected with the hand levers 14 and 14,- and thereforev under control ofthe engineer.

The weight 87, under control of the brake engine, 1s connected with the main brake lever 21 for the purpose of actuating the latter, and thus setting the brake.

Journaled within a pedestal is a shaft 82 (see Fig. l) carrying. an arm 81, mounted rigidly upon it and pivotally connectedwith the actuating bar 9. The shaft 82 also carries an arm 84, and'connected to this arm and movable by it, is a rod 85 for controlling the brake engine and causing the brake mechanism to set. Arm 84 is loose relatively to the shaft 82 but is normally held rigidly in relation thereto by an arm 82 shown more particularly in Fig. 1 this arm issecured rigidly to the shaft 82 and is provided with a pair of ears 89. which are disposed upon opposite sides of the arm 84. Set screws 82 extend through the. ears 82 and engage the arm 84. *By turning these'se't screws the to a pin 71, carried armv84 may be as indicated in Fig. 1, by bringing the parts .the opening of the brake adj usted to slightly. diflerent angles upon the. shaft 82. The arm 84 carries a weight 84" and is provided with a downwardly ex tending portion 84. Lever 84 having the shape shown in Fig. 1 is mounted upon a pin 84, and is adapted to rock slightly thereupon. The lever 84. because ofits use, I conveniently designate as a stop lever. It is provided with notches 84 upon which the downwardly projecting portion 84, of the arm 84, can lodge whenever the lever 84 is rocked in a clockwise direction according to Fig. 1. The lever 84? carries a pin 84 and connected to this pm is a rod 84, carrying a weight 84 the rod 84" is connected to a bellcrank lever 84 thelatter being pivoted to rod 84*. This rod is connected to a lever 84 which is mounted upon a pin 84* and engages a cam cam being indicated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, the cam being revoluble with the ar1n'64p Mounted rigidly upon the shaft 82 is 'an arm 86 and this arm carries a weight 87 for rocking the shaft 82, the

arm 86is connected with a dashpot 86, for

preventing unduly rapid or jerky movements of the arm 86 and shaft 82. Pivotally mounted adjacent the weight 87 is a lever 88, which is engaged'by this weight, a bellcrank lever 89, serving the purpose of trigger, is provided with a lug 89 which engages an adjacentportion of the lever 88,

87, 88, and 89 into the relation indicated in this figure, the lug 89 restrains the lever 88, and the latter supports the weight 87 If, however, the bellcrank lever 89 is turned slightly in either of two directions, the lever 88 is released and disengages the weight 8"? whereupon this weight drops and in so doing, rocks the shaft 82. The arm 84 and the rod 85 being thus moved downwardly, the

mechanism is set.

The mechanism shown 1n Fig. 1% operates as a variable speed mechanism-that is to bring about a variable action whenever the brakes ofthe hoisting engine are applied. Suppose that the load to be carried is midway between the top and bottom of the shaft, and that the controlling mechanism is tripped owing to overspeed of the engine, when this occurs the weight 87' dro )S, and shuts off the power and in doing this applies the brake. The dropping of the arm 84, however, causes the end portion 84 of this arm to rest upon the top of the stop lever 84 so that the rocking of the shaft 82 is limited in degree, and therefore, valve isonly sufficient to apply the brake very slowly. Suppose again, that the load operated upon by the engine near the top or bottom of the shaft and that the engine, therefore, begins the cam 84" now engages the say, they to slow down, ad acent end. of: the lever 84" and this actn 84 the location of this caused to rock. If, now the controlling mechanism is brought into action on account of the engine failing to slow down within the limits of safety, as elsewhere described, so that the load being raised or ,lowered approaches too closely to the top or bottom limit of its travel, the arm 84 is now free to drop to the lower one of the notches 84*, and therefore, the shaft 82 rocks to a maxnnum extent, the result being that the brake is immediately applied and the engine brought to the stop in the shortest possible space of time within the limits of safety.

In order to actuate the bellcrank lever 89 I connect a rod 90 with it, as indicated in Fig. 1, the upper end of this rod being pivotally connected to another bellcrank lever 91, which at its top carries a U-shaped bearing 92' The annular rack 47 carries a pin 93 which extends into this bearing and allows the annular rack to have a slight rocking movement, but not to rotate to any considerable extent.

The frame 42 of the controlling mechanism is provided with a post plate 94 which rests upon a pedestal 95. This pedestal is provided with a threaded bearing 96 and extending through this bearing is a bolt 97. By turning this bolt the entire frame work of the controller may be shifted slightly in either of two directions for the purpose of adjusting it relativelyto other parts and of 160 tightening or loosening a chain if the latter be used in connection with the driving of the shaft 32, as is sometimes done. Mounted rigidly upon the frame. 42 and extending laterally therefrom is an arm with an up-turned portion 100. An arm 101 is supported by this upturned portion and is insulated therefrom. A leaf-spring 1.02 is mounted upon the arm 101 and engages a movable contact pin 103 extending through the upper end of the arm 101. A binding post 104 communicates with the arm 101 and spring 102. A contact spring 105 is mounted upon the rip-turned portion 100, and

mounted upon this spring is a binding post.115

106. The contact spring 105 carries a contact button 107 and a boss 108 of insulating material. The contact spring 105 also carries a boss 109 ofinsulating material which is supported by a mounting 110. Mounted upon the arm 99 is a bracket 111 and this bracket supports a bellcrank lever 112 provided with a rounded portion 118. A leaf spring 114 carried by the bracket 111 tends to maintain the bellcrank lever 112 in a predetermined normal position. The bellcrank lever 112 is provided with an end portion 115 and the worm wheel 35 carries a boss 116, for engaging this end portion, and

thereby rocking the bellcrank lever 11.2

99 provided 105 engaged-by a nut 118.

slightly in a contra-clockwise direction according to Fig. 2. The bracket 111 is securedupon the arm 99 by a threaded stem 117 which extends throu h this arm and is onnected with the binding posts 106 and 104 are wires 119 l20.

The wire 120 is also connected with the bell.

98. The wire 119 leads to a battery or other source of electricity and from this source of electricity, a wire 121 leads to the bell 98.

10 1, wire 120 to bell .98, and Wire 121 back i to source of electricity. This rings the bell 98.: As the boss 116 does not come into engagement with the adjacent end portion of.

the bellcrank lever 112 until the loadoperated upon by the engine approaches the limit of its travel, the ringingof the bell serves as a warning of the condition of the mechanism.

The movement of the rod 58 to the left,ac cording to Fig. 2, may also cause the electric bell 98 to ring. The rod 58 is in alinement with the boss 108 of insulating material, so that when the rod 58 is moved to the left, to the limit of its travel, it engages this boss and bends the contact spring slightly to the left according to this figure. This done, a circuit is completed through the bell 98 as above traced and the ringing of the bell again gives warning to the operator.

The net result is that whenever the worm wheel 35, in turning, reaches one of the limits of its travel, Or whenever the engine is overspeeded, the bel1l98 is caused to ring and thus gives warning.

The gearing for turning the worm wheel and parts driven thereby issoarranged that the travel of the worm wheel is very slow, the entire range of travel of the worm wheel being less than one complete revolution. Such being'the case, the .arm 64 and pawl carrier63, together withthe pawl 65, always.

turn less than one complete revolution in either directionthe limited amount of rotation which .these parts undergo represent. ing the aggregate amount of travel of the I skipior cage,.or in other words, corresponding to the maximum number of strokesever made in either direction by the hoisting enginewhen inaction for hoistingor lowering.

The parts are so arranged that when the hoisting engine runs in one .directiomso as to lower theskip or cage,.-the arm 64, pawl :carrier63, and .pawl 65,.rotate in .a contraclockwise direction according to Fig. 3. TVhen, however, the skip or cage is being raised, the'arm, pawl carrier and pawl in question rotate in a clockwise direction ac: cording .to this ,i igure. j

The operation of my deviceis as follows: The parts being assembled and arranged as described, the engineer starts up the hoistlng engine to raise or lower the load, con- If'the load sisting, say, of a ship or cage.

of thevariis to be lowered, the movement ous revoluble parts is such that the pawl 65 turns in a contra-clockwisedirection according .to Fig. 3, as above stated.v Because of this fact, the pawl 65, in moving around, tends to comeinto engagement with some. of the notches 56pro vided the'speed is not slackened. When the engine is running'at full speed, the pawl 65 .willenter the notches 5,6, but if the speed of the engine be slackened, the pawl will escape the notches. If, therefore, as the load nears the lowerend of its journey, the engineer causes ,thespeed of the hoisting engine to decrease, the governor 4-0, by'actuating the various parts Icontrollable by the governor rod-'41, causes the pawl to be gradually drawn. radially inward, and to Ithus miss the notches 56. The

excessive speed being thus taken careof, the

pawl will'still engage the lug 57, unless the engine is stopped completely by the time the load reaches its destination. Unless the engineer stops the engine as just mentioned, the pawl, by engaging the lug '57 or the notches 56, presses upon the slide 54: and rocks the annular rack 47 slightly in a contra-clockwise direction, according to Fig. 3. This actuates the bellcrank lever 91, causes the rod'90 to be thrust downwardly, and this rocks the bellorank lever 89. The lever 88 being thus disengaged, releases the arm 86, and the weight 87 thereupon drops This rocks the shaft 82, pulls the'rod 86 downwardly, and causes the throttle mechanism of the engine'to be actuated so as to cut off the. power. ,It also causes the brake to be set. l/Vhere the load is. being raised instead of lowered, the action .quite similar .to that just described, except that the various rev oluble parts move in ,the opposite direction, and the pawl 65 is brought against the notches 5 1 or lug 52 of the slide 50, instead of against corresponding parts of the slide 54..

In the .event of the engine overspeeding, either in hoisting or lowering theload, the rod58 movestothe lett and coming in contact with. theboss 108 tforcesthecontact button 107 into engagement with the-contact pin 103. This completes the circuit above described and causes the tbell 98 to ring and thus give warning of .the overspeeding. If, now, the engineer fails to slacken the speed of the engine, the action of the governor mechanism .eauses ,th pawl 65 to .be thrust into the teeth 48, which causes the rack 17 to rock. This shuts off the power and sets the brake, thereby stopping the engine.

As the load being raised by the engine nears the surface of the earth ,the rotation of the worm wheel 35 brings the boss 116 into engagement with the adjacent end portion 115 of the bellcrank lever 112. lhis rocks the bellcrank lever causing the contact spring 105 to be bent to the left, according to Fig. 2 s above described, bringing the contact button 107 into engagement with the contact button 103. This closes the circuit through the electric bell which thereupon rings and gives warning that the load is nearing the upper limit of its travel. The engineer is therefore warned to slow down the engine and by so doing to prevent the pawl 65 from engaging with the teeth 51 and the slide 50, and thus having the control mechanism stop the engine.

When the load is intermediate its extreme positions, if at any time the speed of the engine becomes excessive, the speed governor mechanism is actuated, the rod 58 is thrust to the left, according to Fig. 2 as above described and again the electric bell ringsthis time in consequence of the overspeeding of the engine. At the instant this occurs the pawl 65 is moved radially outward into engagement with the annular rack l7, the latter is thereby turned slightly and caused to actuate the various movable parts controlled by it, so that throttle is actuated and the power cut off, the brake being set accordingly.

The parts are so proportioned and arranged that the engineer has an opportunity, after receiving a warning signal from the bell, to check the speed of the engine or to shut off the power as may be. It is preferable that the signal be first given so that the engineer may have a chance to heed it, and if he fails to do so, the mechanism will be brought automatically to a standstill.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a hoisting engine, control mechanism actuated by the engine, governor con- Gopies of this patent may trolled mechanism for modifying the action of the engine actuated control mechanism, and an alarm mechanism adapted to be operated by both the engine and the governor controlled mechanisms.

2. In a hoisting engine, engine operated control mechanism, governor controlled mechanism, means for connecting the governor controlled mechanism with the engine operated control mechanism under excessive speed conditions, and an alarm mechanism adapted to be operated by either one or both the engine or governor controlled mechanisms.

3. In a hoisting engine, an engine operated control mechanism embodying a movable member and a plurality of differently positioned stops carried by said movable member, governor controlled mechanism including an element movable thereby into the path of some one of the aforesaid stops, and an alarm mechanism adapted to be operated by either one or both the engine or the governor controlled mechanisms.

4:. In a hoisting engine, an engine operated. control embodying a movable member and an element mounted upon said member and movable therewith and embodying a plurality of stops differently positioned both laterally and longitudinally, a governor controlled mechanism including an element movable thereby into the path of some one of the said stops, and an alarm mechanism adapted to be operated by either one or both the engine or governor controlled mechanisms.

5. In a hoisting engine, an engine operated control embodying a rotary member, a block adjustably mounted upon said member and stepped to provide a plurality of stops, a governor controlled mechanism including an element to be projected into the path of some one of the said stops, and an alarm mechanism adapted to be operated by either one or both the engine or governor controlled mechanisms.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LILLY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. CARPENTER, NEIL G. MoLnon.

Commissioner or Eatents,

Washington, D. 0. 

